Libya’s UN-backed Government of National Accord announced finalizing the extradition of Hashem Abedi – the brother of Manchester bomber Salman Abedi – to the UK by the end of 2018, the head of the Presidency Council Faiez Sarraj said on Thursday.
Hashem Abedi was arrested by the Tripoli-based Special Deterrence Force shortly after the 2017 suicide attack that killed 22 people in Manchester. As well as 22 people dead, 112 others suffered injuries.
Sarraj denied that Libya had delayed Abedi’s extradition and insisted his country was “fully cooperating” with British officials.
Legal procedures were reaching their conclusion, he said, adding that it was “only a matter of time” before Abedi was returned to Britain.
In the interview with the BBC, Sarraj said “I think from here to the end of this year we will finish all the legal procedures in Libya. We are fully cooperating because we understand the suffering of the families of the victims of this terrorist attack. We as Libyans also suffer here in Libya from attacks. So the subject is important for us.”
Abedi has been subject to a request for extradition by British authorities since November last year.
The Abedi family, originally from Libya, fled during the Gaddafi dictatorship with the father returning to fight with opposition forces when the uprising began in 2011.
Both brothers travelled to Libya in April 2017, and then Salman returned alone before carrying out the attack in Manchester.
